Prizonierii de război români în lagăre germane din prima conflagraţie (II)
Romanian Prisoners in German Camps during the First World War (II)

Summary/Abstract: This study examines (in two parts) a lesser-known dimension of Romania’s participation in the First World War: the case of the Romanian POWs interned in various German camps. Based on archival sources as well as various works, papers, memoirs and war journals of the former combatants who survived German captivity, the article sheds new light on an under-researched topic. The mortality rate among the Romanian POWs was one of the highest (over 31% of the prisoners, mainly soldiers) among those interned in camps created by the Central Powers. This situation can be explained by two main factors. First, Romanians (especially the soldiers) experienced harsh, often degrading and inhumane treatment because of the deep resentment showed by Germany towards Romania, as the country had sided with the Entente, despite its initial alliance with the Central Powers. Second, Romanian POWs were victims of increasingly severe scarcity in Germany: as the country was hit by economic crisis, it struggled to cope with the growing numbers of POWs, which reached 2,5 million people.

• Details
• Contents